Benji steps up for

Sunday News league writer Ben Stanley won big at Friday’s Canon Media Awards. Stanley won the Sports Feature Writer of the year. Congratulations Ben! Playmaker’s boot spells the difference as Warriors

BENJI Marshall relied on his experience and rookie Shaun Johnson absorbed another lesson – the Kiwis’ latest playmaking duo were left with contrasting emotions from Friday night’s cliffhanger between the Wests Tigers and New Zealand Warriors.

Marshall was relieved after guiding the depleted joint-venture club to a 24-22 win at Leichhardt Oval that pushed the Warriors to drop out of the top eight heading into their bye week.

The contest between Marshall, 27, and the talented Aucklander six years his junior was an obvious feature of their third head-to-head clash. The Kiwis captain’s class was enough to aid the pre-season premiership favourites to a fourth successive triumph – and third by four points or less.

Marshall, now positioned at halfback rather than his usual role as five-eighth, set up the second try with a pinpoint chip for Lote Tuqiri, had a hand in the third to Matt Utai and, most importantly, converted all four as the Tigers recovered from a frustrating start and overcame a 10-point halftime deficit.

Johnson, who debuted alongside Marshall in the Anzac Test, made a polished beginning to just his 26th first-grade game but his tactical kicking and option taking tapered off when the Tigers finally gathered momentum.

His glumness in the dressing shed summed up the mood of a side previously buoyed by wins over the Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters.

‘‘A big part of how your team goes is on the halfback; we didn’t win so there’s probably a lot more I could have down to get us over the line,’’ he said.

Johnson never considered his match-up with Marshall as a focal point, but he did give the 165-game veteran credit.

‘‘There’s another 16 guys on the teams but Benj has a big part in how they go and I thought he played pretty well.

‘‘He picked his moments. That’s something I’ve got to learn, I’m open to learning,’’ he said.

Warriors coach Brian Mcclennan lamented his side’s lack of composure and urgency when the Tigers started the second half strongly.

‘‘We sort of had our backs against the wall and once we came out of it we were probably a bit impetuous,’’ he said, citing moments of indecision after Konrad Hurrell had put the Warriors back in front by completing a 90-metre break-out.

But he would not criticise Johnson – and rightly so, considering teammates were to blame for gifting the Tigers field position and the repeat sets that enabled Marshall to weave some magic.

‘‘The key is to remember the growth curve that Shaun is in,’’ Mcclennan said.

‘‘He did some good things out there and there were some things he will look, and we will look at, and say that’s an area we came make some improvements.

‘‘He’ll keep working hard to improve his game and he’ll get there.’’

Bullocking centre Hurrell was also a promising work in progress after he notched a double for the second consecutive week.

The squat 101kg battering ram coolly gave Bill Tupou enough space to score the Warriors’ opener and continues to surprise commen- tators with his pace.

He memorably rounded Roosters fullback Anthony Minichiello when offered the sideline at Mt Smart last weekend and had enough gas to keep Marshall at bay in a foot race after James Maloney latched on to a loose kick before feeding the rampant 21-year-old.

Hurrell, who made eight tackle breaks and a team-high 183-metres at Leichhardt, was the beneficiary of Jerome Ropati’s season-ending knee injury and Krisnan Inu’s brain snaps and has rediscovered his confidence after being dropped four games into his rookie season.

Mcclennan thought Hurrell had a ‘‘pretty fair hit out’’, but noted he was among the culpable when Tim Moltzen sliced over for the matchwinner.